Hiei of Alesia
by Hiei1011
Summary: The history of Hiei from Golden Dawn by Amann... Yes I have permission from Amann to write this
1. Guts and Glory

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 1

Guts and Glory

On the corners of the Pegasus Galaxy, somewhere along the edges of Lantean space, the Angelan was doing a routine border patrol. The ship is a rather large destroyer class starship; the first of its kind. Captained by Commander Amann and Lieutenant Commander Hiei Jaganshi, the bridge was filled with many fine officers and enlisted troops just doing their day to day jobs. Towards the font Hiei and Amann where having what appeared to be a minor argument.

Hiei looked at Amann with cold red eyes and said, "No Disrespect intended sir, but you have an eye for politics. You want to be on the council. I get that. However my goals are purely military. Guts and Glory are my dream. Long expeditions on the fringes of the galaxy where there are little or no casualties best serves your interests. Flying sorties over Atlantis where we are under constant threat of Ori attack would better suit mine… sir"

Amann chuckled a bit and replied, "Hiei, your dedication is admirable, but you don't seem to understand. Everything is politics these days. The council has its hands in everything… all promotions to general require council approval."

"Sir…"

"And stop calling me sir. You should get used to calling me Amann."

"Amann. I'm not even a Ships Commander yet, let alone a Fleet Commander. It will be years before I'm even eligible for that kind of job, and my resume will be more impressive if I'm in combat more often."

"In a couple of months I will be in the Lantean Council. At which time ships command with transfer to you. While I'm in the council I will be working on securing you command of a fleet."

"And exactly which fleet would best be suited by my command style?"

Amann reached out towards Hiei placing a hand on the mans shoulder and said, "All in good time."

An alarmed corporal shouted out from the back corner, "15 Ori ships, dropping out of hyperspace behind us. Their opening fire."

Amann turned around as the ship began to shake violently and alarms went off. Red lights flashed all around and what was somewhat order immediately turned into chaos. Amann shouted across the noise, "Raise shields. Turn us around and fire on their lead ship. Prep all boarding craft for departure. Launch all fighters. Hiei…"

Hiei was running towards the launch deck, but was stopped by Amann's voice, "your not a fighter pilot anymore. Put on your armor and get on one of the boarding craft. Lead the charge!"

Turning around Hiei slammed his fist into his right breast and bowed saying, "For guts and glory."


	2. The Landing

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 2

The Landing

The transport shook violently every time a blast hit the shields as it raced towards the closest Ori cruiser. Hiei sat towards the back with his eyes closed remembering his home. He was born on Alesia, a small city ship in the Milky Way located on a planet with diverse wildlife. He grew up on the south side, his room faced a beach lined with tress that led into a forest. He visited them often, attempting to make himself stronger and improve his reflexes. There was a spot that he visited often, a small cave a few clicks from the city. A family of bat like animals lived there, carriers of a rare virus. His body fought the infection, but it left his once green eyes a dark red at age 9.

The pilot announced that they would be boarding soon and Hiei doubled checked his weapons one last time. Pressing a button on the side of his rifle he rotated the stock down allowing a medium sized energy cell to eject slightly. Taking it out and looking it over it was pulsing with a green glow indicating that it was fully charged. Moving to the pistol at his side he pulled the small energy cell out and just like the rifle the green pulsing glow indicated that it was fully charged.

A loud slam echoing from the rear of the craft told him that they had a hard seal on the Ori cruiser. Cutting could be heard directly outside the door. Hiei holstered his pistol and got up pointing his rifle at the door. He signaled the pilot to open the door when the cutting stopped. The pilot hit a button on the console and the door to the cockpit closed. As it sealed shut the rear hatch opened up into the cruiser. The room was already clear. Hiei ran towards the nearest door. Opening it he peeked inside, noting that it too was empty.

Something was wrong. The Ori had to know that they would be boarding. It was common tactic, especially for larger military vessels. Not to mention it would be pretty hard to miss the noise they made getting here, or the fact that they saw them coming. Nothing good could come of this. Either the Ori got dumber or they were walking into a trap.

Signaling his team over he crouched down and spoke aloud, "Standard procedure. 4 of you stay behind to guard the ship while the rest of you come with me. Stay on your toes, I smell a trap."

An older Centurion spoke aloud, amusement in his voice said, "ever notice that you always smell a trap…"

"Ever notice that we didn't have to shoot our way into this room," asked Hiei.

The rest of the team shifted uncomfortably until Hiei told them, "Ready up. We're going to do this as quickly as possible and keep an eye out for anything suspicious"


	3. Evasion

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 3

Evasion

The team moved down a narrow hallway on their way to the power core. With every step Hiei grew more paranoid. He could almost feel the trap about to spring. Every room they came to was either locked or had no one in it. Nothing was right. The ship should not be this empty. Walking past another set of doors Hiei heard a subdued beep from the door on his left. He dove forward as the doors flew open. Several Ori troops opened fire on the rest of his team. Hiei hit the ground and tucked into a roll finishing off with a twist to face his oncoming foes.

Hiei took aim at the closest Ori troop and opened fire. The targets armor took the bulk of the impact but spots of blood could be seen coming out of the wounded areas. He was able to stand for now, but he would drop soon from his injuries. As enemy fire erupted down the hallway from both sides, Hiei ducked around a corner. Running down a corridor he stopped and took cover in an open doorway. He pulled out a small knife and pried open a panel on the side of rifle near the barrel. Inside the panel were some wires, a few screws, and a couple of buttons.

While Hiei was tweaking the rifle by adjusting the screws and pressing the buttons, the radio in his ear chimed in, "Commander Hiei, we're under attack... there's too many of them. We have to fall back."

"Get out of here and tell Amann that when all the other ships have finished boarding to jump into hyperspace and forget about me," replied Hiei while closing up the panel.

Hiei sheathed the knife and knelt down. Peeking out of the door and down the corridor he took a deep breath. He set down his rifle and took out the pistol. while ejecting the small power core he twisted the top of it and pressed a button on top setting it to self destruct. Slowly the core beeped. With every second it was getting closer and closer to exploding in his hand. Hiei picked up his rifle and rolled into the hallway.

Hiei squeezed the trigger on the rifle firing towards the oncoming troopers. Instead of the rather large blast that normally left the barrel causing damage over a larger area, a rather small almost pinpoint beam erupted forth. 2 of the troopers dropped. one clenching his shoulder as he bled to death from a punctured artery, the other already dead the beam having cauterized a hole the size of a finger straight threw the mans heart. Beep... beep. the cell chimed, the pulsing getting faster. Hiei then threw the cell towards the troopers and threw himself back into the room slamming the controls on the wall next to the door closing it behind him.

The echo of the explosion rang through out the whole ship. Hiei knew he couldn't go back threw the door. The cell would have created a plasma discharge that wouldn't dissipate any time soon. 'Gotta love physics' he thought to himself. Moving towards the door on the opposite side, he didn't have any time to react. The door opened and a trooper stepped through shooting him with the stunning weapon his wrist. The shot hit him in the left shoulder. Hiei was strong but even he couldn't resist the effects for long. As he lost consciousness he lifted his rifle and shot the guy through head.


	4. Emergence

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 4

Emergence

Hiei awoke in a damp room with all lights turned off. Looking around there wasn't anything that he could see that would give him a clue as to his current location… or how long he was out for. As he started to stand up his arms felt a little heavy but he figured that must be a side effect of the Ori stunner. A small glow began to illuminate from somewhere in front of him. The actual distance or size of the object were impossible to determine due to the black out condition of the room.

As the object began to glow brighter Hiei noted that it was oblong shaped and had some kind of post extending down from it. Still the object grew brighter revealing more of the post and the side of something else. Hiei soon realized that it was a Prior and ran towards the man. When Hiei got close he was suddenly stopped by some force bound to his wrist. Testing the force he realized that he was chained to a wall.

Walking towards Hiei, one cautious step at a time, the Prior stopped inches from Hiei and told him, "The Ori are all knowing and have told me that you could have defeated electronic locks in a matter of seconds."

Hiei gave off a faint smirk and looked the Prior in the eye before saying, "They forgot to tell you to chain my legs."

The Prior looked at Hiei questioningly then folded over in pain, having been kneed in the groin. Before Hiei could get a second kick in the Prior sent Hiei flying back into the wall with a telekinetic blast. Sliding down the wall onto his feet Hiei grabbed his head with his right hand, he wouldn't be trying that again anytime soon. The Prior having regained his composure took a couple of steps back.

"The Ori offer ascension to all those who accept Origen into their hearts. Denounce the heathens of Atlantis and embrace the Ori and ye shall be saved."

"Sorry, soul sucking frauds are not my idea of gods. And your just a bully with a bigger stick for the moment."

"So close to enlightenment you are, yet so unwilling to receive the final push towards ascension."

"True enlightenment must be earned, not given. Your fancy powers might be the result of a 'gift' from the Ori, but you will never ascend. Your silver tongue will not convert me,"

The Prior turned around with disappointment on his face and 2 solid bangs erupted around the room as the prior slammed his staff into the ground. Shortly after the sound stopped ringing in Hiei's ears, a door opened on the wall opposite of him and an Ori troop stepped through carrying his staff weapon in one hand and a rod in the other. The Prior stepped up to the trooper and set a hand on the mans shoulder, whispering something into his ear. The trooper nodded before setting his staff weapon on the wall next to him and walking towards Hiei.

The trooper stopped directly in front of Hiei and looked him in the eye. Hiei wanted to hurt this man in front of him but he knew he couldn't so long as the Prior was still in the room. He never got the chance as the Trooper struck him with the rod before the Prior left. Electrical shocks and extreme pain raced through every inch of his being for what seemed like an eternity before the Trooper stopped. Attempting to get off the floor and onto his feet sent a wave of sore pain, dizziness, and confusion racing through him. Again the trooper struck him with the device and sent him into a whirl of torment that he trouble breathing through let alone remaining conscious.

As the last of Hiei's mind slipped through the haze and into an unwilling sleep Hiei began to dream. He was about 12 years old laying on a beach, a breeze rushing through his hair and water coming up from the back of his head rushing towards his body. He leaned up and saw Alesia, in all her glory, about a half a click ahead of him. There was a group of trees off to his left that led into a forest that he often thought of as his home away from home.

Climbing to his feet Hiei noticed a wooden sword sticking out of the sand behind him, and his father standing about 10 meters ahead of him smiling. He remember the drills. Run towards his father attempting to dodge the telekinetic shockwaves that would send him flying back on to the beach. Hiei pulled the sword out of the sand and resumed his charging stance. Left foot forward with the right foot pointing off at an odd angle for greater initial push off of the soft sand. His right shoulder was dropped and both hands around the hilt with the blade pointing down. He cleared his mind and took a deep breath.

He ran forward and dove into a roll off to his right dodging the first blast. Charging forward He tried to spin around the second wave but it caught his hand and knocked the wooden sword from it. Resuming his charging stance, Hiei ran forward. Sand was being pushed aside leaving a groove off to his right as though it were being manipulated by some unseen force. As Hiei rolled past his fathers final wave of energy he spun around swinging up knocking the mans feet out from under him. Swinging back down Hiei struck his father across the stomach before hitting the ground.

Hiei awoke to the trooper standing over him laughing. As rage filled his heart he jumped up and thrust his palms into the mans chest knocking him back a few feet. Hiei ran after the man and as the chains grew taught against the wall and his wrist, he twisted his hand a circle breaking the chain with an invisible weapon and snapping the other with relative ease. The trooper ran over to his staff weapon but it was too late. Hiei caught up to him and slammed the blunt telekinetic energy into the mans back as hard he could. As the man tried to climb to his feet, Hiei slammed a foot down on his back. Reaching out Hiei grabbed the staff. Kneeling down on the mans back Hiei lifted off the troopers helmet and shot him in the neck with the staff.


	5. Hiei of Atlantis

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 5

Hiei of Atlantis

Hiei stood over the corpse of the Ori trooper that he had just slain. He was considering taking the armor but it wasn't a wise choice. With his distinctive red eyes he knew that he was going to be spotted as imposter in relatively little time and with his injuries from the torture rod the abrasively heavy Ori armor would hinder him more then it would help him. Yet the wrist stunners might prove useful, at the very least, as something for Lantean scientists to reverse engineer. So Hiei decided to pick up the wrist guards and put them on. They where relatively light weight so not much of a problem for him to still be able to move quickly. As a plus they also didn't interfere with wrist movement so they would not affect him combat at all.

Hiei picked up the staff weapon and walked over to the door. Though he could not see through it he somehow knew that there where 2 guards just outside. One to the left, one to the right. The torture had somehow awakened some hidden senses as well as the new found telekinetic gift. Weak as it was it was still useful. He might not be able to throw people 50 feet but he could develop it with time. For now getting off this ship or somehow commandeering it would be more useful.

As the door opened wider Hiei's heart beat faster. Stepping into the hallway, Hiei turned to his right and stabbed the guard with the staff. Hiei shot the man in the stomach while pulling it out and hitting the guard behind him with the blunt end. He then spun around the guard he just shot pulling up on the troopers armor to use him as a shield while the mans friend shot him. Hiei then tossed the dead man aside and swung the staff down over his head at the other guard. This guy was not green by any means and grabbed the staff while Hiei was swinging it, wrenching it out of Hiei's hand and tossing it aside. Hiei punched the man with his left hand then attempted to uppercut his foe with his right hand. To his surprise the blow was blocked, but Hiei triggered the stunner on his wrist. The discharge flew up between the mans chest and his arms hitting him in the jaw knocking him back unconscious.

Hiei grabbed a staff from one of the fallen troopers and ran down the hallway until he came to an intersection. Stopping at it he could hear the foot steps of several more troopers heading his way. Hiei waited until the troopers entered the intersection until he opened fire. He shot the closest one in the head. While the man dropped to ground, not only dead but half his face either melted off or scorched away, Hiei swung the blunt end around hitting the second one in the back of the neck stunning him for a moment. As the first still alive trooper recovered, Hiei jabbed the blunt end of the staff into the farthest ones face just below the eye socket. Fully recovered the closest living threat turned to Hiei but was struck in the temple by the shooting side of Hiei's staff. The other guard was about to shoot Hiei but was too late as Hiei shot him before he got the chance.

He took a step forward while simultaneously spinning the staff in his palm so that the shooting end was pointing out the bottom of his grasp and shot the one semiconscious guard in the back of the neck. He stood in the intersection for a moment. He knew it was a major crossway and more people would be coming along shortly. He was somewhat familiar with the class of ships design having triggered over a dozen to self destruct while leading a sabotage team under the since being assigned to the Angelan. Yet he needed to get his bearings. He was unfamiliar with this area of the ship. Normally it was a simple journey from where they cut open a hole in the ship to the Vacuum Module room to trigger an overload. He decided to go in the direction the people just killed had come from.

Hiei turned into a small room off to his left. The room was empty and had a computer in it… perfect to bide some time. He went over to the computer and accessed the ships mainframe to bring up a map of the cruiser. Three maps opened up on the screen. The one on the left was a vertical cut of ship displaying all the decks, their functions, and any damaged areas. The one on the right was an overview of the ship from above though he figured you could manipulate it to display the overview from any angle. The center one was the one that he was interested in. It was a map of the deck he was on. It was labeled Command Deck. Off in a corner there was a red line across the hull where his strike team had cut through it. He thought that they would be able to patch it while on the go but as it turns out they cut through a major structural component of the ship. It would need to head to a dry dock to get repaired. The effected room had been sealed off to prevent decompression of the ship.

Leaving the room Hiei knew where to go to get the bridge. Hiei ran down the hallway, then down another, and yet another. He opened a door labeled, Command Center. As the door opened he shot a man at the far end with his staff weapon. The shocked men and women of the bridge began to scatter. Only a few of them actually had weapons and the ones that did forgot how to use them when confronted with someone as intimidating as Hiei. He shot those that he could as they left room. Hiei ran over to a computer and noted that it was still online. He opened a few menus and initiated a command lock down. All doors leading to the Bridge where sealed shut. Only he could open them from the inside.

He had to move quickly before the Prior figured out what was going on. Hiei had the ship exit Hyperspace and launched all emergency craft while they where still empty. Next he opened all external airlock doors, including those of the evac ships he just launched. After that he opened all doors on all decks with the exception of the bridge and the room where he had boarded. Pressing another button to open all airlocks and the room with the big hole in the wall, a flashing warning appeared on the screen. It told him he was about to initiate a violent decompression of the entire ship killing everyone on board except for him and should only be used if the ship had been compromised. Acknowledging the warning Hiei pressed the button again.

A loud whooshing and screams could be heard from just outside as everyone on the ship was sucked into the darkness of space. As the monitor told him the purge was complete, Hiei set the ship towards Atlantis. Another flashing warning, indicating that it was a suicide mission. Again Hiei acknowledged the message and told the computer to do it anyway. The Hyperspace window opened on the screen towards the front of the bridge. Exhausted Hiei fell asleep in a chair close by.

Hiei awoke to the sound of the console telling him that he was approaching Atlantis and would be exiting Hyperspace soon. As soon as the ship exited hyperspace Hiei raised primary shields and was almost immediately fired upon.

Opening the a comm channel, Hiei announced for all in the city below him to hear, "I am Hiei of Atlantis. Hold your fire."


	6. The Deal

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 6

The Deal

The sound of boots echoed through out the hallways of Atlantis as Hiei was escorted to the infirmary. Several people saw the young Lieutenant Commander being escorted and immediately began to gossip. It was well known that he was taken under the wing of Commander Amann, a rather ambitious man born on Atlantis with an eye for politics. Amann had made many enemies along the way, one of them being Moros, the current High Councilor. Moros was not only annoyed by Amann's choice of crew members, but infuriated by the simple fact that not a single one of them owed him a favor.

As Hiei entered the Infirmary he spotted Moros right away. The man couldn't blend into a crowd if his life depended on it. He was rather tall and some what over weight compared to the other Alterans there. His voice was rough and grating on the ears and Hiei usually wound up with a headache from it after a couple of minutes. Hiei also never trusted the man. The first time they spoke Moros gave Hiei the distinct impression that he was looking for someone to spy on Amann for him. His instincts gave him the feeling that Moros was just trying to find a way to hang Amann before he could become even more of a threat. That usually meant a corrupt politician is scared of a legitimate one and wants the threat neutralized.

As Hiei walked in Moros began to applaud and spoke aloud, "Ah Hiei. We had received a transmission stating that you had been captured by the Ori not moments before you came out of Hyperspace."

Hiei winced as the old man spoke but tried to hide the obvious pain this man caused him while he replied, "High Councilor Moros. Always a pleasure."

Moros held out a hand and announced, "Luck and fortune have brought you back to us this day…"

Hiei broke off the man in mid speech by saying, "Death is what brought me back to you. Do not over glorify this. I killed hundreds that should have been spared. Nothing more."

"I meant no disrespect Hiei. Amann will be punished for abandoning you like he did. We can not afford to lose such valuable assets."

"Amann didn't abandon me. I ordered my men to retreat and told Amann to leave me behind."

"Then it must have been a tactical mistake…"

"No mistake. We were ambushed by a dozen Ori Cruisers. Not even the Angelan could have taken them all on her own. The only way to victory was an assault on the ships themselves. They knew this and set a trap… one I wasn't supposed to have survived. When I did it made them desperate so they held me prisoner and tortured me. It made them foolish and they paid the ultimate price."

Moros smiled and with daggers in his voice he said calmly, "You must be exhausted Hiei. Take leave until the Angelan returns."

Hiei returned the smile and moved a shoulder to let Moros pass him. The medical examination took a couple hours but Hiei knew it was necessary. They needed to make sure that he was who he said he was, and that he had no internal injuries that could kill him. After it was over Hiei made his way back to his room. He was born on Alesia but was stationed on Atlantis. His room was like any other, save for the sword on the back wall next to his desk. It had belonged to his father and was given to him before the man had died.

Hiei walked over to his closet and opened the door. Inside were several uniforms hanging from a pole near the top. Just above that was a shelf with several clear bottles filled with a reddish liquid. A wine from Alesia. It was his custom to buy a bottle every time he was there even if had several more unopened, as He never knew when he would be able to return to get more. That and the stuff had a shelf life of about a millennium. Three shelves lined the left hand side of the closet. The top one had a pair of boots for his uniforms. The second shelf had a pair of running shoes. The bottom one had a few crystal glasses for the wine.

Grabbing a glass from the bottom shelf, Hiei walked over to the desk and sat down. Opening a drawer Hiei grabbed a half full bottle of the wine sitting next to a pistol and poured himself a glass.

As the door to his room slid open Moros walked through but before he could say anything Hiei said, "Moros…"

"High councilor Moros."

"I am on medical leave until the Angelan returns for its repairs, which should be within the next few days. Which means that this is strictly a social visit and I need not dispense with the usual pleasantries."

"I am here on business."

"Then come back when I return to duty. I am exhausted and your voice reminds me of glass shattering"

"It will be too late by then."

"Too late for what?"

"I'm here to offer you a deal."

"What kind of a deal?"

"Command of the Angelan."

"You want me to say that Amann abandoned me? Or that he is a reckless commander? Don't look so surprised. It's all over face. You want me to testify against Amann for control of the Angelan. However I know that there is a steeper price for such things then that. I would be your lackey, nothing more. If I ever stepped out of line then you'd offer the same deal to my second in command. Sell me down the river to gain control of a ship. This would ensure that I was as corrupt as you. And it would keep me in line. Leave now and take your offer else where. I will not be your whore Commander."

Moros eyed Hiei for a moment before a thin grin crept across his face as he said, "you will regret this decision one day Hiei."

"Not as much as your mother regrets giving birth to you."


	7. Too Stubborn to Die

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 7

Too Stubborn to Die

Screams echoed through out Hiei's mind and the room. Men and women being sucked out to their deaths in darkness of space. The sound of people hitting the doors and walls made Hiei cringe. He doubted that very many of them would still alive by the time they made it out of the ship with all head trauma they must be receiving. Yet, he still knew that there would be at least some that would have to endure the pain of the vacuum of space until it killed them. He knew that he could save them. Emergency Shutdown; the button was flashing red on his screen. Thud. Thud. 2 more on their way out to their permanent grave.

The computer screen in front of him began to flash the word 'Murderer' on it. Thousands of voices started whispering to him. The voices seemed to come from every where and yet no where. They seemed to be getting closer and Hiei felt trapped and alone. The shadowy form of someone began to ooze threw the walls that where literally closing in on him.

After a few seconds the Prior was standing in front of him and said, "Soon Commander. Soon thou shall taste our wrath."

Opening his eyes, Hiei jerked up out of bed covered in sweat. He went over to the door and placed a shaking hand on his throbbing head. He pushed the dream aside for the moment and held out a slightly more steady hand and focused on the nearly empty bottle of wine on his desk. After it floated over to him he flicked the top off of it letting it make a nice impacting sound on the floor that resounded in his ears as though it where a hammer that fell on his head. He took a swig of the wine letting the liquid flow freely to his gut, the alcohol calm his mind, and the aroma float up to his nose. Calmer now Hiei turned on the lights and took another swig of the wine while walking over to his desk.

Once at his desk Hiei poured the remainder of the liquid into the glass that was still there. Hiei swirled the wine around the glass a few times before taking a sip and sitting in his chair. He turned on his computer and logged into the sensor readings. The Angelan would be arriving in approximately three and a half hours. He needed to relax and quickly, so he threw on some gym clothes and headed to the closest meditation room.

The room was a simple, about a hundred feet long, thirty wide, with various pillows and potted planets throughout for relaxing the mind. Hiei never made a habit of coming here. Even though he meditated often he figured anywhere was a s good as anywhere else, yet this room had calming spirit to it; and that's exactly what he needed. He sat down in the middle of the room and crossed his legs placing his hand on his knee caps with his palms facing up. He slowly closed off his mind and pushed everything out while slowing his breathing and his heart rate.

A few moments later Hiei was back on Alesia with his parents. They where eating dinner. Back then he had no idea that it was the last time he would see his parents alive. He was seventeen years old and was going to go to the academy the next day. Before he left his father gave him his sword as a memento of where he came from. He went from memory to memory feeling a deep sense of pride as he did. Yet nothing ever lasts forever. Suddenly his body shivered as though a cold wind passed over him and he was in a dark place.

Suspended over nothing and surrounded only by darkness the Prior from the Ori Cruiser appeared before him and said, "Soon."

Hiei's eyes flashed open and as they did everything in the room around him flew out and slammed into the walls. The pots were shattered, the pillows shredded, and the plants ripped to pieces. Frustrated Hiei walked over to the closest wall and slammed his fist into as hard as he could leaving a massive dent in it. Feeling a little better Hiei returned to his room to get into uniform for when the Angelan returned. Once dressed He looked himself over in the mirror. Nothing was out of place. He had updated the uniform just before he was assigned to the Angelan.

"Commander Hiei Jaganshi please report to the northern landing pad," Hiei heard over the intercom as he left his room.

As Hiei made his way through the halls towards the landing pad he figured that his little trip down memory lane must have taken longer then he thought it did. He looked up into the sky and saw the streak of plasma that followed a ship as it entered a planets atmosphere. After awhile the trail faded away and something could be seen in the distance. As the thing got closer the faint outline of the Angelan could be made out. It was almost home, and Hiei wondered if Amann even knew if he was alive.

The Angelan landed with relative ease especially considering the damage that could be seen on the hull, and that was just the external damage. Several mechanical teams rushed ahead of the crowd to assess the damage and start the repairs. There was a flash of light and Amann as well as a few other members of the bridge crew from the Angelan where in front of the crowd. Moros stepped up to Amann and shook the mans acting as though the conversation that he had with Hiei never happened. Amann just shook the mans hand and ignored him moving on.

Hiei walked up to Amann and saluted while saying, "Commander Hiei reporting for duty."

Amann had a hard time hiding his astonishment as he said, "How can you not be dead?"

"I'm too stubborn to die."

Over the next several hours Amann and Hiei caught up on what had happened over the last few days in the Cafeteria. Hiei opened a fresh bottle of wine and they shared a few drinks while they waited for the Estimated time of completion on the repairs. The mechanic told them that it would take 1 week to complete all the repairs. Hiei signed the repairs and suggested that they take some of the attack squads to the main land for some training missions while the repairs were underway.

After Hiei got Amann to agree to the idea he went back to his room where he sent a message to the control room to have them announce that all the strike team members from the Angelan are to report to the armory as soon as possible. He then grabbed some spare clothes and set them on his bed. Upon hearing the announcement he went over to the armory where he waited for the rest of the men. He wasn't just taking them out for a stroll through the forest, he was testing them. He needed a new team since most of his last one was killed in the ambush upon the Ori Cruiser. The though made him shiver slightly.

As the last crew member arrived Hiei said in his most commanding voice he could muster, "We will be spending 6 days on the mainland while we undergo several training exercises. Each of you will grab a bag, a stun rifle, a spare power cell, a dozen food rations. After we are done here you have twelve hours to get ready and make it to the launch bay. Any questions?"

No one said anything so he signaled them to go through the door where each of them signed out everything that they where ordered to take. The only exception being Hiei who only grabbed the rifle with spare energy cell and the rations. Like everyone else Hiei had his own gear. However, unlike everyone else, Hiei was a command officer and allowed to modify his equipment. He had grown used to the modifications that he made to his equipment. Also while his own gear might take a beating it saved the other men's gear some wear and tear. Luckily he had a spare set on the Angelan.

After inspecting the gear, Hiei threw the rations and the energy cell into the bag then headed back to his room and set the gear down on the floor next to his desk. Hiei left the gear behind and made his way back to the Angelan for his spare set of armor. Once there he had a hard time finding the actual ground entrance to the ship as he had never actually used it. The ship was constructed about a year before he was assigned to it and he had never seen the thing on the ground. The more he thought about it the more he was amazed that it was even able to make landfall.

After about ten minutes of looking he finally found the entrance and walked on board. He located the lift and set his destination as the crew quarters. Once there he made the long walk down to his room. The ship felt weird without thousands of people traveling through it going about their business. Instead there was only a mechanic here or there doing a secondary evaluation for minor damage that might have occurred throughout the ship as a result of the ambush. Hiei got to his room and was relieved to find no one there and nothing disturbed. Hiei set the pack down on the floor next to the desk and went over to his closet where he kept a spare set of armor and all of his work uniforms.

Most of his time was spent on the bridge doing mindless tasks. Most of the people on the ship would give him something to sign so they could do the rest of their job. Each one of them acted as though the absence of a signature would actually physically prevent them from doing anything and as such that one small act would cause the ship to plunge into chaos. He would believe that when insects took over the galaxy.

He took the armor out and set each piece on the bed after inspecting it. Everything was good to go so he grabbed the armor and went back to his room. Once there he took the clothes that where on the bed and set them down on the bag along with the armor. He needed to get some sleep. He had trouble falling asleep over the last couple of days and the pitiful sleep he had been getting was plagued by the same nightmare. So he decided to go to the infirmary and get something that would help him but suppressing his dreams.

The doctor looked at Hiei and said, "Looks like you haven't been getting much sleep."

"That's why I'm here doc. When I do manage to sleep I keep having the same nightmare. I wake up in a pool of my own sweat and the sudden urge to shoot whatever happens to be near by. I need something that lets me skip REM."

"have you tried meditating?"

"Earlier today, everything in the room got destroyed when I came out of the trance."

"I'll give you some pills to help you relax. If the dream persists over the next couple of days come back so I can give you something stronger."

"I'm going to the mainland for some training exercises over the next 6 days."

"Well then come see me when you get back for a check up"

"I will."

Hiei took the pills that the doctor gave him and left. He returned to his room for the last time. This time he intended to sleep. He took one last look over his gear and set his alarm for 7 hours. Hiei washed a pill down with water and the effect was almost instantaneous. He felt suddenly tired and headed over to the wall to turn off the lights. He headed over to his bed and the fell into a deep sleep. The deepest he had been in for a long time.


	8. 6 days later

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 8

6 days later

Hiei sat on his gear by the transports waiting for everyone to arrive. Most of the men had arrived a little early but some where lagging behind. He had planned on splitting them up into 3 teams but decided that it would be better if he split them into 2 teams instead. After all the mainland was a large island for just the strike teams to be on. As the last of the men arrived, Hiei stood up to announce what's going to happen over the course of the next several days.

"Attention," Hiei yelled as the group gathered around him, "I will be splitting you into groups, then we will be heading to the mainland. Each team will board a different transport that will cloak once it leaves Atlantis so no one else can tell where it will be landing at. This will ensure that no one other then myself, who told the pilots where to land, will know where the other team. I will be in contact with the team leaders who will be designated by me before we leave. The first thing you will do when you get dropped off at the mainland is to set up a perimeter and a make shift base of operations. You can make the perimeter as big or as small as you are comfortable with because on each of the transports is a depleted Zero Point Cell, and if a any time your entire team is stunned or the Zero Point Cell is taken. You lose the round. Any questions?"

No one answered so Hiei pointed to the man farthest to the right and said, "Sound off."

Each man said the next number in sequence until finally they got to the last man and Hiei said, "If your number is 1 or 2 congratulates you're a team leader. If your number is even get into the transport to my right. If its odd, and I'm referring to the numbers not an unusually small area of your anatomy, get into the transport on my left."

As Hiei boarded the transport behind him the ship sprang to life and the HUD displayed his exit vector as well as projected path to where he was going to stay on the mainland. However, unlike his men, he would have the comfort of the ship to sleep in. Hiei was scheduled to be the last to leave Atlantis and the HUD displayed the other ships getting ready to take off. While waiting Hiei heard a knock at the rear of the ship. Hiei walked over to open the hatch at the rear with a disgruntled look on his face.

Upon opening the door Hiei was surprised to find an attractive young woman waiting outside. She was about a foot shorter then him with red hair and green eyes. In her left hand was a letter and in her right was a sword of some kind. It had a kind of curve to it and the sheath had a black finish with a thick, flat, black string rapped around it several times and tied in a knot next to a loop protruding from the sheath near the hand guard. The sheath was roughly 66cm in length making the blade about 61cm long. The hilt had a hand guard that was circular in shape and had what appeared to be the Lantean point of origin cut out of it. There was a black cloth that wrapped around the white hilt in a pattern that left the white hilt shining through in squares at regular intervals. Underneath the cloth a copper emblem could be seen. It was in the shape of a flower that produced a fruit native to Alesia and was used in his favorite wine.

After a moment the woman saw Hiei staring at the sword and bent over to make eye contact with him as she said, "Excuse me, Commander Hiei. High Councilor Moros wished to present this service blade for your victory over the Ori. He also wished to congratulate you on your 37th anniversary of your day of birth and to beg you to reconsider his offer."

Hiei looked at the woman skeptically and replied, "Our people can live for tens of thousands of years and yet he insists on celebrating every continued year of existence and if he truly wished to congratulate me then why isn't he here?"

"The High Councilor is a very busy man Commander."

"True enough, if you would please convey my thanks for the gift and tell him that my refusal still stands."

"Making an enemy of the High Councilor is not wise Commander."

"Neither is prostitution. Remember that."

The women shook her head and walked away as Hiei closed the door. He unsheathed the blade and noticed that it was only bladed on the outside of the curve and that the metal of the blade was lighter then that of the blunt side. Inscribed on the blade was the word 'Alo'. The HUD beeped and Hiei sheathed the sword while making his way up to the cockpit. He sat down and set the sword beside him. The HUD indicated that the other 2 ships had departed and that he was cleared to depart. He grasped the controls and with a little thought the ship left the ground. It hovered for a minute before gaining altitude on its way out of the city.

As he cleared the main tower Hiei set his course towards the mainland and cloaked the ship. While the training mission is primarily for his men he planned on joining a few of the missions. The final mission would entail both teams to try and find his location and eliminate him from the match. Of course that was 5 days away. For now he was going to try and master this new style of sword that the high councilor had given him.

Once upon the mainland Hiei had a quick snack and began to practice with his new sword. As he did the minutes began to blend into hours and the hours into days and before he knew it the 6 days were over. It was time to return to Atlantis and the Angelan. Hiei told the 2 team leaders where he was and had them meet him there with their teams as the transports that brought them there would be arriving soon. It wasn't long before Hiei could see a plasma trail in the atmosphere. He thought it was a bit odd that only 1 of ships and had come to pick his men up but figured the other one would be around soon enough. As the plasma trail faded nothing was seen and Hiei waited impatiently for the ship to land. He was eager to get back to his duties. He didn't think that the training missions would be as taxing as they were.

A faint image of the transport could be seen in the distance and Hiei was glad that it was almost there. Yet a few things didn't sit right. Why had the transport come in from orbit rather then just head strait to mainland from Atlantis? And where was the other transport? As the Ship grew closer Hiei could tell that it was not a transport, actually it wasn't even of Lantean design at all. Hiei rushed into his Transport and had it scan the incoming vessel. His fears were confirmed. An Ori fighter was heading straight for them. The sensors also told him that the fighter was only about 3 minutes away and the Transports that were supposed to be on their way to pick his men up were no where to be found.

As the fighter approached Hiei prepared for what would most likely be his final battle. As he kneeled there on the ground, sword in hand suddenly everything made sense.

He was standing in front of his father and he heard the man say, "Calm your self Hiei. You will be able to do anything if you learn some control."

Next Hiei was with Amann in a rec room playing chess. It was the day they first met and Hiei was not only the first person that managed to keep up with Amann in the game, but actually beat him at it.

Upon his victory Amann said to him, "the only bad thing about chess is both sides have perfect information on the field of battle. A real battle is clouded in the fog of war."

to which Hiei replied, "and only those with limited experience rely solely on sight to make a tactical decision"

He heard screams of 'Murderer' as the taste of blood filled his mouth. He could hear the pilots heart racing and noticed his was calm and slow. Somehow he knew that the pilot in the fighter was going to die soon. He could see an eagle on a flag behind a women. Though he had never seen this woman before in his life he somehow knew that she had some connection to Amann, and that her name was Galadriel.

She held looked at him sternly and said, "General Hiei your actions have always bordered on genocide. This we have forgiven in the past for you have ensured the safety of Alesia and her people, yet this time you have gone too far. You have needlessly killed thousands of Jaffa and nearly provoked a war. You are hear by sentenced to death."

Almost as soon as the words where there they where lost to Hiei. He saw darkness, endless black, with but only a single distinguishing feature. A small planet with no stars… anywhere. Alarms where sounding and lights flashing. From the distance he heard, 'the hyper drive is inactive,' though where it came from and who said it he didn't know. Then the feeling faded. He was standing before Moros at trail of sorts.

Moros announced to the court, "Amann and the rest of the traitors that follow him are banished for all time to the planet Alesia. You however will be imprisoned in a geosynchronous orbit around a black hole."

Hiei yelled at Moros while being dragged out of the room, "You will regret this. One day I will return and remove your head from your neck. Mark my words you corrupt bastard of a politician."

Several images of his past and what he could only describe as his future flashed through his mind before he could grasp what was going on until it settled on Amann with an angry and concerned look on his face.

His old friend shouted as he said, "Hiei what were you thinking. I'm sorry my friend but i can't overrule the council on this one. the slaughter of those innocent civilians was unnecessary and pointless. The only thing you can do now is head a legion of men with only one purpose. To crush the enemies of Alesia. You will stay on an abandoned planet until I call for you. Do you understand or are you too high off of your blood lust?"

Hiei was overwhelmed with the images and phrases that passed through his mind. Some of them he recalled, yet many of them he had a feeling hadn't happened yet. One that kept coming back was the image of a planet being crushed by a ghostly hand. He opened his eyes and saw the fighter. It was twice as big as it was before. As he focused on the enemy his mind exploded in voices. 'Clarity is strength and knowledge is power,' one of them told him while another just yelled, 'Murderer'. Each one echoed in his mind as though someone had installed a speaker in his brain. Hiei built up a torrent of telekinetic energy as he heard a familiar voice tell him in a deep and chilling voice, 'soon'.

Hiei was about to unleash the force he was storing when he heard his father say, 'control,' that is until the fighter spontaneously combusted and spiraled out of control straight towards his transport. The 2 ships collided with an amazing explosion that sent shrapnel and burning wreckage straight towards him and his men. Without delay Hiei threw his hands forward and threw every bit of concentration into a wall that stopped them all from dieing.

Breathing heavy and feeling like he was about to collapse Hiei felt someone place their hand on his shoulders. Looking back he was surprised to see Amann there with a grin on his face.

Hiei couldn't hide bewilderment as he asked, "Why are you… how did you… What is going on here?"

Amann laughed as he said, "The Angelan was already in orbit for some functional checks of the repairs when he detected the Ori Ship drop out of hyperspace directly above you."


	9. Command and Loss

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 9

Command and Loss

There was a resounding silence about the room. For the last several hours various crew members aboard the Angelan had come to thank Hiei personally for volunteering to stay aboard the Ori cruiser. Each time left a pot mark in his soul for it awakened memories and old scars that had yet to heal. He lost not only several good men on that god forsaken ship, but several friends. He was trying to get some rest while the Angelan restocked and went through its final checks before launch.

Hiei lied in his bed with his eyes closed listening to the sound of his heart beat and the steady rhythm of his breathing. Before long he heard a knock on his door. 'Figures' he thought aloud as he grumpily made his way over to the door. As the door opened he noticed a familiar face though he couldn't quite put his finger on where she came from.

Pointing a finger at the woman Hiei said, "You… I know you from somewhere."

"Atlantis," the woman replied.

"That's right, you're the High Councilors delivery girl."

"Secretary."

"How's that going by the way."

"He requested that I be your assistant."

"Spy."

"I thought it would be good for my career to work with a national hero."

"Yes I'm sure you 'jumped' on the opportunity, yet I have no need of your 'services' or a spy."

Before Hiei had a chance to react the woman slapped him across the face leaving a mark on his cheek.

Her nostrils flaring with anger the woman yelled, "That is the last time you will imply that I am a prostitute."

"Touch me again and I can't guaranty your safety."

"My name is Elri by the way and I assume I'm going to be working here."

"I work on the bridge. You will not be in this room unattended. Classified information and all."

"Command officers have office quarters. They can work out of their rooms if need be."

"I am the second in command of this vessel and a bridge officer, hence I work on the bridge. But if you want to hang around me all day like a little girl with a crush you can report there at 0600. However, this room is off limits."

As the days and weeks passed Amann and Hiei remised about old times long since passed and looked forward towards the future. They knew that the Ori where still out there and that they would return one day. As Amann made the transition to the Lantean Council, Hiei stayed behind as the Commander of the Angelan. Before they left dock on that fateful day Moros had forced the Lt. Commander was someone who directly owed him a favor. Hiei knew that the man could not be trusted. This also raised questions about his 'secretary'. If she was still spying on him then why the need for the second spy?

After a time the question was burned into his mind and as the months turned into years the burning question turned to paranoia, and the paranoia into insanity. While calm on the outside, there was a raging storm inside of Hiei. With the added stress of his new powers expanding almost faster then he could control them, he was at edge on a good day. He had no release for it. He was trapped. The Ori hadn't attacked in nearly 30 years. Why where they waiting? What could they be planning? The questions were driving him mad.

Ever since Amann had joined the Lantean Council he had been an outspoken member. Outspoken yet powerful and well respected amongst some of the military and had people that agreed with him though silently. Of the few who publicly supported Amann, Hiei was one of his strongest. Though that would be his downfall. One morning Hiei was awoken by someone pounding on his door. Upon opening it he was struck across the chin by the butt of a rifle.

Staggering back he grabbed a knife off his desk and threw it into the assailants throat. While the man fell to his knees Hiei grabbed the hilt of his sword that was on his desk and drew the blade out of the sheath with one quick motion. He ran out into the hall and slammed the hilt into someone's face before cutting down through the man and back up behind him. Two bodies hit the floor while Hiei stabbed the blade through the heart of a man behind the one to his left. As a stunner hit him from behind he had only enough time to think 'I'm getting too old for this' before he lost consciousness.

He awoke in cell on the Angelan with his hands and feet bound. Not to mention a terrible headache. Standing just outside the cell was his second in command with a smirk on his face.

The man looked at him and said, "Hiei Jaganshi, former Captain, you are hereby stripped of all rank and title under the authority of Moros, High Councilor of Atlantis. Your crimes are as follows. High treason, resisting arrest, and 4 counts of murder."

With a flash of what could only be described as 'death' in his eyes Hiei replied in a calm, cold, unwavering yet hostile tone, "How about we make it 5 and you step inside."

"Now, now Hiei you knew this was coming."

"Aelius you traitorous worm, of course I knew you would be the one to betray me. It was just a matter of time."

"You should have taken the High Councilors offer all those years ago."

"How does it feel to be the man slave of a corrupt man?"

"I am no slave."

"You say that know, but one day, when you are not so young you will realize that you made a mistake."

"You and all 50,000 plus of Amann's followers will be exiled."

"Followers. You suggest that we are a cult…"

"You all believe in that which is not there."

"It is there for those who are not blind to see and you know as well as I do that Moros…"

"High Councilor Moros."

"Will not simply exile me."

"No he won't"

Aelius left and Hiei never saw anyone until the day of the trail. The trail went on just Hiei had seen over the last several years in fragments and each aggravating moment caused Hiei's blood to boil even more then the last. Each man that testified against them got up and presented their piece of hearsay or fabricated evidence to present to Moros. Until finally Moros stood up and addressed them with his final verdict.

Moros stood up and announced, "Amann and the rest of the traitors that follow him are banished for all time to the planet Alesia," He then pointed at Hiei and continued to say, "You however will be imprisoned in a geosynchronous orbit around a black hole."

Hiei yelled at Moros while being dragged out of the room, "You will regret this. One day I will return and remove your head from your neck. Mark my words you corrupt bastard of a politician."

Once again Hiei found himself unconcious. This time when he awoke, he was alone. All alone. He could feel the gravilty of the black hole crushing him down towards the floor of the prison that was his new home. As extreme as it was Hiei could still stand. The ship that had brought him there had long since departed. Hiei immediatly began searching the facility for anything that he could get his hands on. It took him a few days and it wasn't much but Hiei had scrounged enough to make an engine of sorts.

Over the next week Hiei was hard at work. After he built the engine he started make a ship around it. Anything he could rip off the walls of his prison without causing a breach he tore off. Either to use to use as for something else or for parts to repair an essential part. The main thing that surpised Hiei was that there was a cloaking device on the stationand yet he knew that he would need weapons. He made make shift neuton lasers from some lab equipment he found lieing around, though they wouldn't last long, he only needed a couple of minutes. Next was a grappling hook of sorts that he would run an EM field alond that should fry most electronics on the ship that gets hit by it. The final addition was a plasma torch that mounted to the bottom of the craft, perfect for cutting holes into other ships.

Hiei rigged some explosives to the wall in front of his new ship. There was only one ting missing. He had to take the guidance system out of the prison and put it into his own ship. While the task was simple enough he would have to hurry. That guidance system was the only thing that was causing the prison to not fall into the black hole. Once he accomplished the feat he jumped into the cockpit and left the prison with a semse of urgency.

Once out of the extreme pull of the black hole Hiei set course for the nearest inhabited planet that showed up on the computer. Once there Hiei recognized the star system. It was Alesia. It was his home. Yet with all that had happened he felt no pride, only pain. This planet had been the place of his birth was now the prison for his freind. Out in the distance he could see something that wasn't there before. The computer brought up a display of a ship that had left the planets surface. It wa large and had several thousand people on board. By the size he figured it was a capital ship. P Upon approaching the star sytem Hiei detected a ship. Judging by the size of the ship and the ammount of personell on board, Hiei figured that it was a capital ship. Probably belonging to a high ranking member of the Lantean Council. Probably belonging to Moros. His vengeance was at hand.


	10. General Hiei

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 10

General Hiei

Hate burned inside of Hiei like nothing that he had ever felt before. A boundless hate fueled by his limitless rage that burned deep within him. Abandoned by his own kind, to die alone in orbit around a black hole. That is what they intended him to do. They made one mistake however. The place that would be his death was an abandoned research facility.

As Hiei approached the ship he activated the cloaking device and moved into position, behind the engines. Tapping a few buttons, he dropped the cloak and brought the neutron lasers online. Before the ship had a chance to react, Hiei had taken out their propulsion and was close enough to the hull that he was flying under the now raised shields. He used the thrusters and flew the nose towards the ship firing constantly causing an array of blue and red sparks to fly off the ship with each impact. As he approached the front of the ship he maneuvered up continuing his barrage even as passed over the bridge.

When Hiei was on top of the ship he couldn't believe his eyes. Painted on the hull was the word 'ANGELAN'. He paused for a moment in shock before new found hated surged through his body like a storm of unending fury. They used his own ship to suppress his home. They would pay for the injustice. He switched weapons and launched the grappling hooks at the ship sending the EM through frying most of the electronics. He had them where he wanted. They were at his mercy and on backup power. For the time being at least.

Hiei opened a comm channel and said in a cold calculating voice that scared even himself, "Moros. Surrender your vessel or all aboard will die."

A familiar voice responded back, "Hiei! What the hell do you think your doing!"

"Amann," Hiei asked the man who answered back.

"No. It's the tooth fairy."

As much as Hiei was sure that this couldn't be his old friend he couldn't stop himself from replying, "you never paid me for the last tooth you took."

"Hiei get on this ship now!"

Hiei disconnected the grapplers from the hull of the Angelan and made his way to the launch bay. While exiting his craft he set the engines to remote self destruct and grabbed the remote detonator, hiding it in his back pocket. He was fully prepared to kill everyone on board if it wasn't Amann. He was even prepared to die himself if necessary. Rounding the corner, he caught a glimpse of his old friend heading his way. He would have gotten a better view but the lighting in this area wasn't entirely stable due to the backup generator being damaged by his attack.

As Amann approached Hiei called out to his old friend, "you seem to have an electrical problem."

"Gee I wonder who could have caused it," Amann replied before punching Hiei in the face as hard as he could.

Hiei looked up at Amann with anger yet his gaze was met with just as much hostility and fire. Before he could speak Amann motioned for him to follow. As they made their way to the bridge in silence main power was restored and the ship headed back towards Alesia.

"It's been nearly 3 years Hiei," Amann said coldly.

"3 years for you, barely a week and a half for me."

"Time distortion… That's why that facility was abandoned."

"Where's Moros?"

"Patience Hiei."

"Patience can wait. I want vengeance."

"You have not the strength to beat him. He is more then 3 times your age and twice as powerful."

"I have strength enough."

"Pride cometh before the fall. Remember that."

A wave of energy Hiei could not control blasted out of his whole body, pushing Amann back a few feet. While Amann was happy to see his old friend alive and well he had to calm the man down somehow. Amann sent out a wave of telekinetic energy meant to throw Hiei into a wall, but Hiei seemed to grab it and throw it into a nearby console in one smooth motion. Amann threw three more telekinetic waves at Hiei but he deflected the first two the same way he did before. As the third approached, Hiei caught and wrapped it into a tighter ball, containing it with his own energy.

Hiei threw the ball at Amann, but Amann dodged the energy ball. The ball exploded with a shockwave as it hit the wall behind him which broke through the hull and air began to rush out. An emergency shield was raised to contain the breach. The main lights dimmed and emergency lights began to flash in alarm. In the chaos, Hiei charged Amann as though he were holding an invisible blade. Amann parried with his own invisible weapon. Hiei swung down and to the left and followed through by going down and to the right. His weapon was not met with another but rather by air as Amann dodged both attacks and kicked Hiei in the chest, sending him flying back.

Hiei used his spare hand to avoid impacting the ground with his head and landing on the ground with both feet in an aggressive charging stance. Before he could begin his charge Amann thrust out both hands and sent a constant sonic wave of energy at Hiei. Hiei couldn't move for he had to focus all his energy into a telekinetic barrier from Amann's powerful assault. The stream of Amann's assault was deflected all around Hiei by the barrier. Yet occasionally a piece of Hiei's willpower would falter and so would a piece of the barrier. The shield was slowly breaking apart as though made of glass and a flashing light was destroyed by one such chunk of the barrier.

With a little push Amann shattered what was left of Hiei's barrier sending him flying back into the door. As Hiei slumped down onto the floor, Amann approached and held out a hand. Hiei looked away disappointed. He had lost. If he couldn't even beat Amann how was going to defeat Moros who had over 200 years of experience?

"Hiei, please stop. Moros can wait. Your people need you."

Hiei looked at Amann for moment then nodded and took the man's hand as he got to his feet.

Amann smiled as he said, "Shall we go home, General?"

"General?" Hiei asked in confusion.

"Our people are in disarray. We need someone strong. An old war hero that everyone will expect to run the military forces that are forming. You will join my inner circle of military officers that will command our military. The Alesian Accords have been signed with our newfound Drow allies, who live on Alesia."

Hiei was taken off guard.

"The Drow? They are isolationalists, distrustful of outsiders. They barely tolerate Lanteans here."

Amann smirked.

"Yes, they are. I was...persuasive to the Drow."

Hiei grunted in amusement.

"I'm sure you were."

Amann smiled.

"Quite. Now, I have founded the new political entity that is the Alesian Empire. The Drow have agreed to be part of that entity, but with a say on the council. A permenant seat is granted on the council for a Drow member. Their princess actually. They wanted more of our technology, and we wanted their alliegence."

Hiei shook his head at the political babble.

"You always did have an eye for politics Amann."

"And you used to always be able to control your anger."

"Times have changed."

"That they have."

As Hiei walked towards the front of the bridge he felt a trickle of something warm and wet run down his cheek. Reaching up towards the source, he felt a sharp pain and quickly pulled his hand back. Blood. He was bleeding. When his telekinetic barrier shattered a fragment must have cut him. Amann was always a step ahead when it came to matters of ascension and the powers that one acquired while on the path towards it. Yet, he was also a step behind when it came to matters of strategy.

The trip back to Alesia was mostly uneventful after Hiei got on board, though it took significantly longer then normal. They had to wait for engineering to fix the damage that Hiei had done to the engines. Even then it was only a partial fix and they had to run at only a quarter of their usual speed. Along the way Amann told Hiei about what had happened since they left Atlantis. All 50,000 of those exiled were forced to settle on Alesia. Moros had also recalled the city ship.

The first year was the worse. Some of those that left on principle managed to leave with a few military ships. They used these as temporary housing while they slowly built a new city from scratch. Yet there was simple not enough room on the ships and many people had to live outside. Several died from the various animals that inhabited the planet while others died from disease. In the past they could cure most diseases, yet medicine was hard to come by. But most of the casualties were from the biting cold winter that Alesia was famous for.

After the city was built, power was a problem. There simply wasn't enough zero point cells to go around and making new ones was proving problematic. It wasn't until about a year ago that they have managed to perfect their method of creation. After that they began working on large scale ships for combat and protection. The Angelan was the first to be constructed of a new line of large battleships. The ship was on its maiden voyage when Hiei showed up. No one was expecting him to be able to escape, yet Amann had a feeling that Hiei would show up one day.

Once on Alesia Hiei was amazed by what he saw. The city was several times larger then it had been since he was last here. It was built large enough to not only house the people that had been exiled but several generations of growth as well. Not to mention the research labs, ship yards, and various other places that where added for people to pursue their given professions. In the southern court yard there was an entire legion of soldiers being trained. The first of the new Legions were being formed. Before he entered the city he was met by an acquaintance of his.

Looking at the woman he greeted her by saying, "Captain Renate."

She smiled and replied. "Legate. We use a different rank structure then the Lanteans, though I understand you are our new General."

"That's correct."

Renate turned around and grabbed a wooden box that a soldier was holding. She opened it and handed the sword that was inside to Hiei. It was the one that Moros had given him on his 37th birthday.

As Hiei was looking over the sword Renate told him, "We managed to steal that from evidence before we were exiled."

Hiei nodded and placed his hand over the hand guard. He closed his eyes and a small glow was seen all around him. When he removed the hand the hand guard no longer had the Lantean point of origin but rather the new Alesian eagle.

He looked up at the crowd that had gathered, raised the sheathed sword above his head and announced, "I am no longer Hiei of Atlantis. I am Hiei of Alesia."

His words were met with cheers and thunderous applause.

Their cheers subsided for a moment as Hiei slammed the sheathed sword to his chest and yelled, "FOR THE EMPIRE!"


	11. Awakening

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 11

Awakening

Amann sat in his office going through the mornings messages. Most of it was just junk until he came across one very interesting piece of mail. Amann was invited to watch a battle simulation. Further down the message was the original argument that started the whole thing. Apparently Hiei and one of the instructors got into an argument over battle strategy. The instructor insisted that any one of his recruits could take Hiei on and come out the victor. While Hiei said not only could he beat the best student but would be able to take on 30 of his best and still win.

Amann looked at his secretary and asked, "What's this about Hiei and some kind of battle simulation?"

"Ah yes Hiei is going to fight 30 of the new recruits in a mock battle later today."

Amann jumped out of his seat and began running to the door saying, "He'll kill them all."

The secretary stopped Amann and said, "relax sir he's using a stunner and rubber sword."

Amann stopped half way in the door of the next room and turned around saying, "the recruits wont last a minute."

"I wouldn't give them 30 seconds sir."

"Willing to wager a bottle of wine."

"Absolutely."

"Get a pool going."

As the day went on many people placed their bets and all but 1 bet for Hiei to win. The one loner was the instructor of the recruits. As he did every one looked at him as though he were crazy. New recruits against a war hero? They may have him outnumbered but then again they were green and Hiei was on edge.

Out on the field the recruits were preparing their strategy. They were hoping to lure him into a trap where they could surround him and catch him in the cross fire. Hiei in the mean while was in his office taking care of some paperwork and wasn't even concerned about the battle. He knew from personal experiences and losses that even the hardest of veterans and best laid plans can turn against you in a moments notice. The best strategies were often the ones formed in the moment using not only the information at hand but also your gut feeling.

A few hours later and the simulation was ready to begin. The surrounding area was a field with a few scattered trees and rocks about. The hilly terrain could also be used to conceal a troop here or there. Hiei was given a choice of weapons and decided upon the pistol and his sword. Due to the nature of exercise and the desire of the recruits to continue to live his sword was set aside an he was given a rubber replica. There where going to make him use a wooden one but this was also seen as too dangerous.

At the sound of the beginning Hiei took running towards a rock over to his right while Amann started an official timer. On the way there he shot several times into a tree off to his left. One of the shots hit a recruit that was hiding there as a scout. Instead of going around the rock did a flip over it. While he was facing the ground he fired the pistol at the recruit that was hiding there. Grabbing the boys limp body as he fell, Hiei used him as a shield for shot that was aimed directly for him. He threw the boy to his right while jumping over the attackers next shot and planting a well aimed blast of his own on the kids left shoulder.

Sensing the trap at hand Hiei ran back towards the rock he had just passed and used it as leverage to jump high enough to get a clear view of the entire battlefield. Their trap was ruined. As the recruits looked up and saw that their hiding places were ruined they opened fire at Hiei who had already begun to take a few of them out. All of the shots missed either due to poor aim or Hiei using his telekinetic abilities to move out of the way. Just before Hiei landed He drew out his sword in a sweeping motion and infused it with a bit of telekinetic energy and created a massive dust cloud.

Even though the recruits didn't know exactly where Hiei landed, he still knew where several of the were. He fired three times out in front of him and struck the recruit that was practically behind him his sword. He then struck down the recruit that was now standing just in front of him and fired several more times into the dust cloud. Sheathing his sword he grabbed a rifle from one of the recruits that he had just knocked out with a rubber sword. Pointing the guns out in front of him he began to fire a barrage of blasts.

As the dust settled Hiei was standing in the field with 30 unconscious men lying in various places through out the place. Amann stopped the timer and Hiei began walking back towards the crowd of onlookers.

Upon passing the instructor Hiei mentioned, "Any one of them could take me out eh," then he turned to Amann and said, "time?"

Amann nodded and looked at Hiei before saying said, "54.39 seconds"

"I hate getting old."

Once back in his office Hiei began doing some routine paperwork. Though he felt fine something was bothering him. His heart was beating way too fast and he was sweating. Suddenly a sharp pain shot through his heart and he clenched his chest while doubling over onto his desk. Slowly the room began to grow dark and the pain was spreading to his arms and legs.

As everything went completely black he heard a faint voice in the distance say, "We're loosing him."

The pain left his body almost as quickly as it had come but Hiei wasn't alone. Though it was still pitch black he could see someone coming towards him plain as day.

"Who are you," Hiei asked the man.

"I am Death," the man replied as a sword materialized into his hand.

Death stabbed towards Hiei, but directed the blade to his side. Then grabbing the hilt Hiei used the leverage of his position to twist the hilt out of Deaths hand and stabbed at him. As the blade approached Deaths throat it disappeared down the length in a swirl of smoke. Death chuckled but Hiei carried through with his fist.

Death staggered back a few feet before saying, "Foolish mortal. I have complete control here. Accept your death."

Hiei shook his head and thrust his right hand out to the side and a new sword materialized in his hand. Death smiled and did the same. They charged each other and sparks flew as Hiei blocked the first attack and ducked under another. Hiei sliced through Deaths stomach but before the blade met flesh, Death vanished. Before thinking Hiei slammed his hands down on an imaginary surface and kicked up behind him. His foot landed on Deaths chin and sent the man flying up about a foot where he floated.

It was in that moment that Hiei realized that everything was limited to his perception of the environment. He appeared to be standing because he believed that there was a floor there. Death swooped down from above but Hiei blocked and flipped in place blocking the next blow upside down. With every attack Hiei seemed to get the upper hand until Death would disappear and appear directly behind him. With a movement of his hand the sword seemed to split in 2 and then connect at the hilt.

Hiei sliced through the smoke of death vanishing but stopped the blade so that its twin was facing up and behind him. He felt the weight change as Death materialized onto his blade. Hiei could feel his life coming back to him so he slammed the blade back further into Deaths chest and twisted before withdrawing spinning the battle staff around so that it decapitated Death then cut him in half length wise.

Hiei opened his eyes to a blurry world that slowly came into focus. He sat up and noticed several people having an argument in the corner. Amann was the first to turn towards him with his eyes wide in shock.

"The hour is bleak and you chose a bad time to try and kill yourself Hiei," Amann shouted.

"I cured myself."

"You were dead for over 2 minutes Hiei."

"You could have revived me easily."

"I sentenced you to death years ago. Now was as good a time as any to finish the job," Galadriel said from the corner

"I was infected, with a virus that sent the anger centers of my brain into overdrive while suppressing the areas that control morality and empathy. By overdosing on the cure I have completely rid myself of that virus. You may have lost your murderer but have regained your friend."

"You will receive a full pardon and have your rank returned as long as you remember how to use this," Amann said while throwing Hiei's sword on the bed.

Hiei looked at the sword before Galadriel spoke, "If that's true then most of your combat experience is useless. While I still think you should have died after Galfan II, you may have proven useless in this war once more."

Hiei got up and walked to the window to look out upon Alesia and said, "I remember everything and my body forgets nothing. The hour may be bleak and the twilight fast approaching but the day is not yet done and a soldier never gives up his homeland. We will win this war… for the empire."


	12. Lost and Found

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 12

Lost and Found

Screams echoed throughout a city surrounded by lush forests. The yellow stained sister planet Galfann was high in the sky and the sun was rising in the east. A legion was systematically exterminating all life in the city as per the omega order issued by Hiei, who was fighting his way towards a command building in the center of the city. Inside was Lt. J'racer, Anubis's pawn in establishing a colony in an attempt to create more of the people now known as Jaffa. Their primitive staff weapons were inaccurate compared to the Alesian models but just as deadly.

Hiei peered around a corner of a building he was using as cover to assess how many men where in his way. Surprisingly there were only a few. He spun around the corner while readying his rifle. He got the first shot off before they even knew he was there. He got the Jaffa in the chest. The other 2 now alerted to what was going on started to take aim. So Hiei dropped down to one knee as blasts flew over his head. No time for hesitation Hiei shot the next one in line and lined up for next shot. Another clean kill. The next blast got too close for comfort. He could feel the heat of it as it sailed past his ear over his shoulder.

Hiei sent out a blast of telekinetic energy which launched the Jaffa into the air where Hiei promptly shot him before he hit the ground. The creams grew louder and Hiei could hear the tell tale sounds of the wrist blasters employed by the legionnaires. Hiei threw down his rifle before taking off at a full sprint towards the doors to the command building. Just before he got there, Hiei rushed around and slammed his back onto the wall and pulled his pistol out of its holster. He knew that J'racer would try to escape so he quickly hit a few buttons on the pad to get the door to open.

As Hiei spun into the hallway on the other side of the door, he saw a couple of guards standing and popped off a few shots before they could do the same. The first one hit the guard in the throat and the second hit got hit in the stomach. As the Jaffa went down he got a shot off but missed. The blast hit the door controls and fried the circuits. As he made his way up a flight of stairs Hiei inspected what was left of his gear. His cloak had a few holes in it from some close calls, and the walking stick had cracks all along it with bits of exposed metal towards the top.

Hiei got to the control room, but a few moments too late. He saw J'racer leave in a set of ring devices. There was only one other person left there. Unable to control himself Hiei ran towards the girl and slammed the walking stick into her gut sending her flying back a few feet and destroying the wood encasing a smooth metal handle inside. He saw a Goa'uld cargo ship just out of range of the rings, so he took off towards the balcony. On the way there he saw J'racer making a run for the cargo ship below. So, without slowing down, Hiei dropped his pistol and jumped up to the ledge of the balcony before springing down towards J'racer.

As he fell he gripped the top of the walking stick with his right hand and ripped it our of a metal lock holding it in place. As it powered up, Hiei discarded the wooden remains of what was a his walking stick. Outside the metal hilt a blue blade began to form. With each passing moment the blade grew brighter and hotter. He rolled forward once he hit the ground and as the plasma blade dug into the ground the blade changed colors to a slight shade of purple. Hiei sprung forward from the ground as though nothing had happened and sliced through the air. For a split second it seemed like nothing had happened until J'Racer fell to ground and his head rolled off of his shoulders on impact.

Hiei clutched the dismembered head and looked at it for a moment before it said. "murderer."

Hiei rose clutching his chest and covered in sweat. He had to remind himself that it was five thousand years ago and there was nothing he could about it now. He saw the reflection of the bright moon outside and remembered not finishing a glass of water. He held out a hand and pulled the glass towards him with telekinesis. Or at least he tried to. It didn't even move. Ever since he cured himself of the virus that turned him into a remorseless killing machine, his powers were rapidly declining.

Hiei walked over to the desk and chugged the glass of water down. The water did little to calm his nerves. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep. At least not tonight. Yet he had the strangest feeling like he was being watched.

Without turning around, Hiei just called out to the anonymous person, "what do you want?"

The unknown mans voice rang a familiar tone in Hiei's ear as he replied, "That's a hell of a way to greet your father."

Hiei pushed a button on his desk to turn on the lights before turning around and saying, "Come here to gloat? It took you guys long enough to strip me of my ascended powers."

Hieis father smiled as to be comforting before answering with, "you never had any ascended powers son. There was nothing to strip you of."

"So why are you here dad," Hiei asked.

"To put you on the right path son," Hieis father replied while reaching out as though to pat his son on the shoulder, "be at peace with yourself. You can not be truly held responsible for what you have done."

Hiei shook his head in disagreement as he retorted with, "It's not that easy."

"I know son. You need to get away from here for awhile. Go where your heart lies and you will find yourself," Hieis dad said before vanishing.

Hiei sighed and picked up a small data pad off his desk and stared at it. It was his official orders to return to duty as the Commander of the Fleets with the ran of General. Ayen wasn't going to be happy when he saw those, but Hiei didn't care. Right now he felt almost useless without his once tremendous power. He set the data pad down and headed to Amanns room.

After a few knocks on the door Amann finally answered it and asked in a sheepish haze, "What is it?"

Hiei looked his old friend in the eye and told him of what just happened before telling him he needed a leave of absence. Amann tried to talk him out of it but Hiei refused to give any ground until Amann produced an official document letting him travel through the gate to wherever he wanted. Hiei just thanked his friend and went back to his room to get ready. He decided to travel light and put on only a pair of warm clothes and white cloak. He grabbed only a knife and headed to the gate room.

Hiei walked up to the technician in the control and told him, "Dial Gelstarr."

"I'm sorry sir but until your clearance is finalized I can't let you leave," the technician replied.

Hiei handed the tech the data pad with the document that let him go anywhere he wanted. The tech had no choice but to let Hiei leave and dialed in the address that Hiei requested. Hiei had been to Gelstarr once before as a child but the planet always held a place in his heart. There where mountains not far from the gate, the peaks of which were almost always covered in snow and view of the valleys down below were simply amazing.

After he went through the gate, Hiei made his way south towards the mountains. The smell of the fresh air gave hints of fall and the temperature dropped rapidly as night fell. So Hiei decided to make camp there for the night and gathered up some twigs and a flint to start a fire. While looking for fire wood he found a broken off branch that was about two inches thick and several feet long. After he got the fire going he pulled out his knife and began whittling a walking stick. Slowly as the night went on Hiei drifted off into sleep.

In his dreams he could hear the sounds of women screaming as they were shot down in cold blood, and the vague sound of children begging his men to stop. As they surrounded him, each touch of their icy cold hands seemed to pierce through his heart. He awoke in a state of panic and covered in sweat. As he sat up he noticed the rising sun illuminated his path towards the mountains. It took a few days to get there and with each passing day the snow fall became worse and worse.

At the top of the mountain he began his daily routine. He would wake up, set some traps, gather fire wood, try to meditate then cook some dinner and go to bed. Each day was unsuccessful and each day produced less and less wild game to eat. The nights were short, and he would get very little sleep, always woken up by the same dream. One day while walking out to his usual meditation spot, he grabbed his walking stick and began drawing in the snow.

Hiei didn't know why he was doing this but it just felt right. When he was done it resembled a circle with ancient writing along the outer edge the reflection of it along the inner edge. Now completed he stabbed the walking stick into the ground outside the design and sat in the center. As he closed his eyes he slowly drifted away from there and to Galfann II. With each moment the screams grew louder and he tried desperately to push them aside, but to no avail.

The harder Hiei tried, the louder they got. Each ones voice was like a thousand knives piercing his ears and his heart. Eventually he gave up trying to push them aside and let them wash over him. All their anger, hate, fear, and sorrow flooded over him and he couldn't help but be afraid of its power. He was quivering in his own mind unable to stand or to move. His final resistance was broken and found the more he accepted it, the quieter they got.

As the voices faded away Hieis mind went dark. It was as though he was standing on nothing and as he looked up he saw himself standing there before him. Not as he was now, but as he was back then. The man that stood before him had the look of death in his eyes and every part of Hiei wanted to push this man aside and forget who he was. Yet instead Hiei embraced this man as a brother. No matter how much it hurt this man was a part of him, and denying it would destroy him from the inside out. As Hiei opened his eyes, he found himself floating above a fire in the shape of the design he drew before. Hiei simply looked out to the horizon and knew it was time to return home.


	13. Of Wolves and Men

Hiei of Alesia

Chapter 13

Of Wolves and Men

**Milky Way Galaxy: Outer Rim**

**Alesian Empire: Core Region / Alesia Sector / Alesia**

**Alesian Civil War: Day 15**

As Hiei walked through the outskirts of Alesia, music pounded from the clubs on either side of him. Down an ally to his right he could hear a woman scream. His first reaction was to ignore it but he noticed an odd sound about it, it was of terror not of pleasure. Running down the ally he saw a woman with a child surrounded by 5 Alesian Grey Wolves. Known for their pack behavior and relentless intelligence, they are what many legionnaires aspired to be like.

With a wave of his hand, Hiei shat a small jet f fire between two of the wolves getting their attention. They all turned to see their new foe, but it was not his size nor his demeanor that sent all but the biggest running, it was his calm resolve and the cold of his stare. The one remaining lowered its ears and tail letting out a deep growl. Hiei stopped several feet before the wolf and began to walk in a wide circle with his left to the beast.

The creature lowered its body as though about to strike and Hiei summoned a ball of fire in his right hand as he told the woman, "You should leave before the others come back to claim the title of alpha and tearing your throat out would be a good start."

The woman nodded as she ran off, but the wolf stared at Hiei, ignoring its lost prey. Hiei stared into the eyes of the beast and lowered his left hand while raising his right signaling he was ready to start. The beast saw the calm in his cold red eyes and lowered its tail between its legs and whimpered as it came to lay at Hiei's feet.

Hiei chuckled at the wolf and scratched behind the beasts ears as he began to walk away with the wolf at his heels. Once back in the streets Hiei continued to the bar where he would meet his contact. Once at the entrance the bouncer let Hiei in but mentioned that the dog was not allowed. A sharp growl changed his mind.

Once at the table Hiei asked the man he was there to meet, "What news have you Pious?"

"It would seem that the majority of Alesia and the outlying territories are behind Amann 100%, but the purists would prefer you to take the mantle of High Councilor," Pious stated plainly.

"I am no leader of men, but of soldiers. Amann is better suited for that," Hiei replied.

Confused by the wolf sitting next to Hiei, Pious asked, "So what is with the wolf anyway?"

"He bonded himself to me a few minutes ago," Hiei replied.

"An Alesian Grey Wolf? A rather large Alesian Grey Wolf for that matter," Pious said questioningly.

"He's an alpha," Hiei told him.

"An alpha Alesian Grey Wolf bonded itself to you? Why does that not surprise me," Pious asked while rolling his eyes.

Hiei just chuckled while scratching the beasts ears before asking as though he already knew the answer, "anything else I might need to know?"

"Yes," Pious answered while pulling out a small data crystal that he handed to Hiei before continuing, "as to be expected some of the less intelligent governors are having a field day. With the absence of the lower council to keep them in line, they are trying to pull what ships and militia they have to strike back at the empire. The crystal contains a complete list of those loyal to Amann, those who are on the fence and those that are against him. I should mention that lower ranks are not completely loyal to Amann, they are loyal to you which is close enough."

Hiei nodded at Pious and got up while saying, "Alpha," in a commanding voice.

The wolf responded immediately by getting up and following Hiei out. Once in his quarters, Hiei plugged the crystal into his personal computer. A list of names and planets came up. Only the outermost systems of the empire were completely defective. It would appear that as part of their plan they wanted to attack the empire from all sides. It didn't take Hiei long to figure out who the major players of this "resistance" was. Only a few planets stood out being purely against Amann.

They had the biggest planets and lost the most when they where conquered. Ever since they had been swearing revenge on Amann and his "death squads." But it was always viewed as hopeless rants as the lower council members and the local Alesian military population kept them from actually trying anything. Until now. With the lower council gone and most of the military recalled for active war efforts, He had an opportunity too good to pass up.

Hiei made his way up to his, well now his and Ayen's, office passing few people along the way. It was late and the government and military buildings were minimally manned. When Hiei got to his office he was surprised to see Ayen there, still working.

Ayen just looked up at Hiei and asked, "What are you doing here this late?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Hiei retorted.

Ayen looked back at his computer as he siad, "I'm doing work."

Hiei chuckled as he said, "I'm going on a mission. I'll be back in a few weeks."

"Your as distant as ever Hiei, that's why she left you, you know," Ayen told him.

Hiei just shrugged and grabbed the sword hilt off of his desk swinging it and focused on it to summon a plasma blade. When everything checked out, he released the blade and attached the hilt to his belt. As he went to leave, he heard Ayen mumble something.

Hiei turned to Ayen as asked, a hint of anger in voice, "what did you just say to me?"

Ayen's voice trembled as he said, "she still loves you, your wife that is."

Hiei lowered his gaze as he said, "You mean your sister, she is no longer my wife."

"Your wrong Hiei, she never submitted the paperwork. Your still legally married," Ayen replied.

"How's she doing," Hiei asked with sadness in his voice.

"She's doing fine now, but it wasn't easy raising a son on her own only to watch him volunteer for the special corps, as though chasing the father he never knew," Ayen said trying to drop the hint.

Hiei just dropped his head and left. It was a long walk towards landing pad 5. It gave him too much time to think on what Ayen meant. What was he trying to say. Hiei was sure that Helana wasn't pregnant when she left him, but then again he never saw her again and only learned of her having a child some years later.

Before he realized it, he was at his ship. A new class of destroyer, known as a swarm class. It had only a dozen or so neutron lasers but was capable of holding, maintaining, and launching a full wing of fighters. As Hiei boarded the ship aptly named "AES Hive" he found the crew making ready for take off as he headed towards the bridge.

The ship took off without a hitch and made its way into orbit. Once there they jumped into hyperspace and made off towards the outer planet, Gelstarr. Along the way Hiei prepped his drop pod for a discreet orbital entry. The ship would enter the system cloaked and drop Hiei down to the surface. Then hide behind the largest moon for 3 days before Hiei returned to the ship. That would give him enough time to send his message.

**Milky Way Galaxy: Outer Rim**

**Alesian Empire: Outer Region / Gelstarr Sector / Gelstarr Prime**

**Alesian Civil War: Day 18**

After a long day in his office, discussing tactics and strategies with his fellow resistance leaders, Planetary Governor Shelt made his way back home to his manor. Once inside he set his jacket and hat on the coat rack and made his way back towards his study to do some last minute planning. Once inside he turned on the lights and was shocked to see a man sitting in his chair, sipping a glass of brandy.

Hiei looked at the governor and coldly said, "I was wondering when you were going to come home."

Shelt starred at Hiei with shock as he stammered, "Who are you, what are you doing in my house?"

"I am General Hiei Jaganshi," Hiei said as he finished his brandy and stood while pouring another glass to offer the governor as he continued, "and we need to talk."

Shelt took the glass and sat down but was weary to take a drink as he said, "I wasn't aware that there were any Alesian officers on the planet."

"Officially speaking, you don't," Hiei replied with a cold demeanor that sent chills down Shelts spine.

"Then what's the purpose of this visit," Shelt asked.

Hiei smirked as he sat back in the chair on the opposite side of the desk and said, "as I told you, we need to talk. You seem to be acting strange."

"Strange," Shelt stammered as he asked, "how so?"

Hiei placed a pad of data in front of the governor as he replied, "It would seem your trying to hide something. Your office records show no signs of communications coming from your office yet, for the past several hours your computer has been active. There were no programs running, no files being opened, nothing but it was active."

Shelt looked worried as he reviewed the data while smelling the brandy, he could really use a drink, as he retorted, "must be some kind of glitch, I was reviewing personnel files for the upcoming office opening."

Hiei stared into the eyes of Shelt as his expression become cold when he asked, "then why do your planetary sensors indicate that you have been sending several encoded transmissions to other planets over the past several hours. Transmissions originating from your office."

At this point Shelts heart was about to explode out of his chest and he downed the brandy in a single gulp to try and slow it.

Hiei saw this and smiled as he asked, "A fine brandy isn't it, of course a truly fine brandy would not have been laced with the drug your people use for ritual suicide."

Shelts mouth dropped in surprise and noticed the extra glass as he yelped out, "you will never get away with this. I have a cozy job with high pay and a loving family. No one will believe it was suicide."

Hiei chuckled as he told Shelt, "Not according to the suicide note you left on your wife's nightstand. It explains how your terribly sorry and can't stand living with the guilt of having an illicit affair with a 16 year old girl who lives in nearby province that you frequent on business. You see we do our research well and leave no stone unturned. So you have two options, you can either redeem yourself in the eyes of the Empire by giving up the names of your major supporters, or you can be silent and let your whole family suffer the consequences. You have until you die to decide."

Sweat poured from every pore on Shelts body as his throat tightened up. He had to make a decision and quick. He was already doomed to death and disgrace, but was a slight chance at freedom worth the lives of his family? He knew they would be killed if he didn't talk but what would they have to endure before Hiei killed them?

He couldn't bare the thought as he gasped for his dieing breath saying only one thing, "Belst and… Vespir"

Hiei picked up his glass and rose to his feet looking at the dead fool across the desk from him. He took no pride in this mans death, it was somehow beneath him, but the death had to have no links to Alesia. If he managed to kill the other leaders, the rest of the pack would be too scared to do anything. Any stragglers that clung to the hopes of freedom would probably kill each other off, vying for power.


End file.
